


Making a Family Portrait

by Quinis



Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, White Collar
Genre: Gen, Reveal, Secret Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 05:30:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12381867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinis/pseuds/Quinis
Summary: Neal Caffrey grew up as Danny Grayson, until his parents died and his brother was taken by child protective services. Then he became Neal Caffrey.He's stayed out of Dick Grayson's way for years, unsure whether his twin will be happy to see him or reject him after a life as one of the rich and famous.But Bruce Wayne requests a security check and won't take no for an answer.





	Making a Family Portrait

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from Anonymous:  _This idea has been in my head for a while, but I'll never get around to writing it. This is a cross between Batman (comics) and White Collar. Neal is Dick's brother (older, younger, twin) and wasn't traveling with the family (don't know reason). Dick is traumatized so it's a while before he thinks to ask about Neal-who is now 'missing' (actually in witness protection). Neal can remember the Graysons or not, but the two should find each other. A happy ending and low-moderate angst, please. Thanks_
> 
> Notes: As requested, this basically became light fluffy fluff. But it does create the foundations of a good universe if anyone wants to play with this idea.

 

* * *

**Making a Family Portrait**

* * *

His parents fell. Ellen held him back as he cried and tried to reach them. She pulled him away while he dug his feet in.

"No! No!" he kept crying. "What about Dick? No!" His brother had been up there, about to jump onto the trapeze with their parents.

"Haly will look after him," Ellen insisted. Tears fell down Danny's cheeks as Ellen picked him up in a warm carry and brought him into her trailer.

Danny cried himself to sleep, the bed empty and cold without his twin. When he woke, the circus was a different place. No longer a place of laughter, it was the place where his parents' blood had been spilled and his brother taken.

"They wouldn't let us keep him, Ellen," Haly said, having arrived early in the morning before Ellen and Danny could leave. "Child protective services came and took Dick."

Ellen had a hand over her mouth in shock. Danny felt hollow. He had no idea how to react. His parents were dead. His brother taken.

He was blind to Ellen's and Haly's concerned looks.

"Here's some money. Take the boy and go," Haly said to Ellen.

Ellen pulled some strings from before her circus days and had them placed in witness protection. Danny became Neal and Neal grew up.

* * *

Neal woke with the echo of tears on his face and an ache in his throat. He hated that dream. The expression on his parents' faces as they fell. The sound the made as they hit the ground. Being torn from his brother and losing him.

He knew exactly what had caused this. Bruce Wayne had come to New York, dragging his adopted sons with him. Neal's teeth ground together at the thought.

He refused to have anything to do with Bruce Wayne. He had told Peter as much the previous day.

He dressed as impeccably as always and smiled at Peter when he came to pick him up for work. He greeted everyone and if his smile had a bit more edge to it than normal, he just laughed and commented about having to wake up early for work and everyone forgot about it.

The day progressed smoothly, until after eleven when Bruce Wayne burst through the door.

"Hello!" he greeted jubilantly. "I heard that your security specialist refused my offer! I've come to find out why!"

Diana stepped into his path while Jones went to get Peter. Neal had automatically hidden under his desk.

"Mr Wayne, I told you, private security firms would be better for what you need," Peter said quickly as he approached.

"Of course. But those firms don't have Neal Caffrey. He's a master thief and conman. He's the one who runs your security checks, correct?" Bruce said.

Neal's eyes widened. Bruce Wayne was smarter than he appeared.

"How did you find out that information?" Diana asked.

"Here and there," Bruce responded offhandedly. "Caffrey ran the security of the banks during that Architect incident in New York, didn't he?"

"That's correct," Peter said, seeing no reason to hide information Bruce already knew. "But he is also a CI, not an agent. Therefore, he is free to refuse to do certain tasks."

The door opened and everything went silent for a moment.

"Bruce?" a familiar voice said. "How's it going?"

Neal's heartbeat pounded in his ears. The voice sounded so much like his.

Bruce sighed, as if this was normal. "No go. Apparently the CI refused to do the job."

Dick, it had to be Dick, replied with an 'oh well'. "Come on, Tim's waiting with Damian in the lobby. It's not a good idea to leave them alone for long."

"Excuse me, who are you?" Jones asked Dick.

"Richard Grayson, but everyone calls me Dick."

Neal closed his eyes. Even without looking, he knew the expression Dick had on his face. A nice smile which made everyone want to smile back.

"Is that really your name?" Jones mused. Neal tensed as footsteps came his way. Too heavy for Dick's but not Peter's either. Jones looked over his desk and saw him. "What's going on?" Jones said to him.

"What's wrong?" Dick asked, having followed Jones. He looked over the desk and Neal knew it was over.

Dick and Neal stared at each other, similar blue eyes fixed on similar faces.

"Danny," Dick breathed. A moment later, Neal was shoved back as the full weight of his twin slammed against him. Dick's arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders, squeezing tight. His voice wobbled as he said, "they told me you disappeared." Wetness dripped onto Neal's clothes. "Our family… then juvie… then Bruce and his big manor… by the time I could ask and get an answer, I was told you were gone! Vanished! Danny, how, why?"

Neal held Dick tight. "Our parents… died. Then you were taken. Is it no surprise that they would hide me? Witness protection seemed better than letting the last of the family be torn away." Neal shuddered, suppressing tears as he recalled growing up, not even able to call himself 'Grayson'. "It didn't matter. I was still taken away, unable to stay with the circus. No one would tell me what happened to you."

"Why didn't you look for me?" Dick asked, sitting back on his knees.

Neal gave his brother a shaky smile. "I did. You were in New York by then. Dating a gorgeous model and living large. I was a broke nothing. You were better without me." Even so, he had come to New York to chase Dick and had met Mozzie instead.

Dick was stricken. Once again Neal was wrapped in a tight hug. "No! Never! Danny, how could you think that! You're my brother!"

Bruce cleared his throat and the twins jumped apart. Neal glared at the man who had kept his twin from him while Dick shifted nervously.

"We need to talk," he said and Neal couldn't tell who he was talking to.

"I agree," Peter said. Neal felt a smile twitch onto his face when Peter looked at him. He had forgotten the agent was around. "We never could find anything about Neal before he was eighteen."

"And we could never find Danny," Bruce admitted. "So, Neal?"

"Neal Caffrey," Neal said. He heard Dick gasp and instantly knew his twin knew of him. His heart hurt at possible rejection. However, he had spent years hardening it while he knew where his brother was but didn't reach out, just in case Dick had changed with wealth and rejected him.

Bruce raised an eyebrow and Neal marvelled at how he and Dick seemed to have attracted similar father-figures. "The conman and thief?"

"Yes. If you've got a problem with that, you should probably talk to your girlfriend." Neal heard a couple of agents gasp.

Dick snorted a laugh while Bruce's mouth twitched.

"I suppose. But she doesn't know what it's like to have an extended stay in prison."

Did Bruce Wayne just sass him? And sass well? Neal knew that Selina Kyle had never had an arrest stick longer than a couple of days but, to have that rubbed in his face took guts.

Neal turned to Dick. "How'd you get this one to adopt you?"

"I broke out of juvie and ran into him in the streets," Dick responded with a shrug.

"You broke out of Gotham's juvie?" Peter questioned. He gave Neal an amused look. "I could make a joke about apples not falling far from the tree or both of you being escape artists."

"Just make a comment about how Dick managed to escape as a child while adult Danny sat in prison for years."

"Bruce!" Dick scolded.

"Neal was waiting out his sentence properly," Peter pointed out in a proud tone.

"I didn't have a sentence," Dick pointed out. "I was thrown in there because there was no space in the orphanage." He smiled at the shocked looks. He was used to that. People considered it a strange thing to be thrown in juvie just for being an orphan. "Relax. Bruce took steps to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," Peter and Bruce said in unison. The room was silent, although a couple of agents were sporting smug grins.

Dick and Neal shared a look before laughing.

"It's not funny," Peter said while Bruce just gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Don't bother. Look, I've left two of my other children in the lobby and the longer they are alone together, the higher the chance of collateral damage. Dick, hang out with your twin and give me a call when you're ready to come back to the hotel. We'll work the security test out at a later date."

Dick seemed shocked. "Are you sure?"

"I know you've been looking for Danny for a long time. Spend some time with him."

"Okay, thanks Bruce!"

* * *

Peter gave Neal the rest of the day off to spend with his twin. Although he did make a comment about how Neal should have mentioned at some point that he wasn't an only child.

Neal brought his twin back to June's and introduced him to her. Dick and June hit it off instantly. Dick told Neal about his family while Neal told Dick about Mozzie, June, Peter and the rest of the FBI.

Neal quickly learnt there was more to the Wayne family than met the eye. Dick really loved his adoptive brothers like family, similar to how Neal thought of Mozzie. Dick told Neal about how he had just gotten close to Jason, just learnt how to be a brother again, when tragedy struck. That Tim had pushed his way into Dick's heart and helped that part of him resurface again. And it was for Damian that Dick tried to be a role model for and had to raise on his own at one point. The Waynes certainly sounded like a family through Dick's experiences and stories.

Neal went from hating them to wanting to meet them in the course of a day.

* * *

Neal brought Mozzie in to help him hit his twin's company.

"Wayne? You've got to be kidding," Mozzie said.

"It's a security test, Moz," Neal said. "If I get caught, I don't go to prison. However, if I can pull this off, it's certainly something we can brag about."

"Wayne is hard to hit," Mozzie mused for a moment before sighing. "Alright I'm in. Just don't go pulling any twin shenanigans on me. I'm not breaking into this place with Dick."

"Does that mean no masquerading as Dick Grayson either?"

Mozzie gave him a look. "That's cheating. If we're going to do this, we're going to do this right. With a better plan than taking advantage of your looks."

* * *

The plan went without a hitch. Neal managed to get inside and collect the item before leaving. It had a tracker on it which Mozzie had removed, all the while marvelling at what they had managed to steal.

A black, smooth batarang stabbed through a painting, which they had also taken. Neal couldn't figure out why something like that had been placed in Wayne's safe. Batman was a Gotham vigilante and Bruce came from Gotham... it was the only connection he could think of. But why stab the painting?

His door slid open. The door to his balcony. Neal's eyes snapped up to the dark figure and he jumped up so he was standing on his chair. Stepping up onto the table, he glared down at the intruder.

The lights flickered.

"Batman."

"Neal Caff- no. Danny Grayson. I have come to collect my property."

Neal narrowed his eyes. Part of him was screaming that he shouldn't be getting involved in cape business. Another part of him felt like he was being toyed with.

This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to take Wayne's request. Wayne attracted the crazies as evidenced by the number of times his events had been hit by some costumed villain.

"You can collect it tomorrow, after I give my report. Peter likes to get the items back before I return them."

"And it makes good proof that you managed to pull of the impossible."

"Not so impossible. What shocks me is that you didn't get your Catwoman girlfriend to steal it."

"She's not above using a personal connection to get into my property. Unlike you."

There was a suspicion tingling in Neal's chest. Their speech could be taken in another direction than thief talking to Batman.

"I don't like to cheat. Come back tomorrow, Mr. Wayne."

Batman paused for a moment.

"Told ya he'd figure it out given enough time," another voice said from the darkness outside. The person laughed and then walked in, revealing himself to be Nightwing.

It wasn't difficult to figure out who was behind that mask. While there was a different inflection and pitch in his voice, if Bruce Wayne was Batman then Nightwing was probably Dick Grayson.

"Hey Dick," he said.

Dick grinned and placed a gloved finger to his lips. "Shh, no real names in the field."

"This place is bug-free," Neal pointed out. Mozzie checked it over with a paranoia which likely rivaled Batman's. "But I'll respect your wishes, Nightwing."

Batman held out a gloved hand and motioned for him to return what he stole. Neal stared at the hand before staring into the cowl-covered eyes.

He gave Batman the Batarang. "I'll keep the painting until I give my report," Neal said. "If you don't get it back, you know where to find me."

Batman huffed and turned away, leaving. Nightwing clapped his hands together.

"Well done. There aren't many people who can argue him to a stalemate," he said.

Neal rolled his eyes. That was a stalemate? "How do you stand working for him?"

"He's not that bad. He cares, however oddly he shows it. And he gave me the chance to avenge our parents." Dick pulled out a USB from a hidden pocket in the finger of his glove. He passed it to Neal. "Everything I found out about the mobster behind it is on this USB. He's in prison for what he did."

Neal took the USB with a thud and ache in his heart. On here was everything about his parents' death. All compiled by his brother, who managed to not only find the guy but also punish him.

* * *

The FBI team stared in shock as Neal handed over the, quickly restored, painting of a family. The Wayne family had been painted with Bruce sitting on a chair, his boys standing around him and his daughter leaning over the side of the chair. Neal thought it was an okay painting but the skill of the painter wasn't on par with someone who had mastered the craft.

"He actually did it," Diana commented.

"Was there any doubt?" Neal countered with his conman grin plastered to his face.

"A little," Diana admitted. "This is Wayne we're talking about. Everyone knows he has the best in security."

"Which is why we sent in Neal," Peter said. "If anyone could do it, it was Neal Caffrey."

"Thanks Peter," Neal said, warm with the praise.

Peter shot him a grin. It was the same grin he had whenever they ran the security of the place. "Now, let's go tell Mr. Wayne his building isn't secure."

* * *

Neal watched every reaction out of the billionaire. Bruce acted surprised that Neal had managed to get through but Neal could see some sharpness to his expression. His expression was forced when he looked at Neal, probably because he knew Neal knew.

The meeting processed quickly. There weren't many recommendations Neal could give Bruce, he had only found one risky plan which had thankfully worked. Bruce promised to plug the holes in his security and left gracefully.

Neal hesitated a moment before going after Bruce to say one more thing.

"Can I visit Dick?" he asked.

Bruce was surprised he had to ask. "Of course. It's up to Dick since I don't control who he sees. He has an apartment somewhere in this city, I think. He may have sold it when I wasn't looking."

Neal wondered if that happened often and whether it was because Dick moved a lot or whether Bruce just didn't pay attention to his children's purchases.

"Also, that painting. I recon I could do a better job of it."

"Really?" Bruce questioned. He looked at the painting. "In all honesty, this one was a little rushed. We don't really do so well at posing for long periods of time."

"I could do it from just a photo or that painting. No posing needed."

* * *

Neal ended up meeting the subjects of his painting anyway. Dick brought Tim and Damian around to meet him. They spent a lot of the time bickering and observing Neal like he was an alien creature. Neal took it in stride with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

"Drake, you have this Grayson," Damian announced partway through the visit. "He is a pathetic copy like yourself."

"Damian! No one here is a copy, we are all individuals." Dick scolded.

"Besides, Danny has a number of useful skills," Tim said. "I will gladly have him in the family, if only to find out how he forged the Vinland map."

Dick, how had been nodding along with Tim, froze. "What? He what?" He looked to Neal. "You what?"

"May have allegedly forged the Vinland map," Neal said with a grin. "If it is indeed a forgery and not the real thing."

Damian regarded Neal with a thoughtful look.

"Whatever it is, no," Neal responded, knowing the kid was about to request something of him. "I don't do commissions for kids."

"Despite my youth, I am not a child."

"I don't do commissions for youths," Neal corrected, causing Tim to snort a laugh at Damian's frozen expression.

* * *

The Damian in the painting had a look of determination. Lips pressed together and steel in his eyes as he stood to his father's right. The Tim standing just behind Damian had a reserved smile and Neal attempted to capture the spark of mischief he had seen in the real thing.

Dick had been the easiest one to picture but also the one Neal had the toughest time painting. The original portrait had given Dick a distant but kind atmosphere. Neal added some concern and the smile of an acrobat on the stage. The one people mistook on himself as a conman's smile but somehow looked enthusiastic on his twin.

* * *

Cass was difficult to picture until she turned up while Neal and Peter were having lunch one day. With a smile and unnatural grace, she slipped into the seat next to Peter.

"Uh... we're using this table?" Peter said, edging away unconsciously to give the young woman more space.

"I am here to talk," Cass said. Neal, who recognised her from the picture, had no trouble understanding that she was here to see him.

"Okay! I've got your milkshake and my burger!" a bold voice said. Neal was shoved to to the side as someone dropped himself onto Neal's side of the booth. He passed Cass a cup with her milkshake in it and took a bite out of his burger.

"And who are you?" Peter demanded to know.

"Jason," Jason responded through a mouthful of food. "Jason Todd."

"Brother," Cass said. "Like Danny."

Peter looked over at Neal, having recalled that Danny was what Dick's family called him.

"I know of Cass, she's Bruce's daughter," Neal said. "As for the other guy, I don't know if it's my place to say."

"I'm the black sheep," Jason said, burger half gone. He looked at Neal. "Dick told you about me?" He was curious about that.

"The basics." Which also included why Jason wasn't in the painting. Being legally dead meant that the family couldn't acknowledge him the way they wanted to.

Jason huffed, obviously not knowing what 'the basics' included but figuring his death and resurrection had been mentioned.

"Dick is happy he found you," Cass said, changing the subject. "We are happy for him."

"All I care about is if Danny here counts as family." Jason motioned quotations around 'family'. Neal and Peter both marvelled at the already-eaten burger.

"Yes," Cass said.

"Uh, no," Neal countered. "No offence, but I don't know you people very well. And I've spent most of my life actively avoiding Bruce Wayne and Gotham."

Jason barked a laugh. "Smart. So this is where all Dick's brains went."

"Be nice," Cass warned Jason. "They might think you don't care."

"Of course I don't-" Jason's mouth clicked shut as Cass leveled a 'don't lie to me' look. She turned to Neal.

"Maybe not family yet. But will be." She then proceeded to join them for the rest of their lunch, talking with Neal and Peter. Jason listened in, adding comments and reactions to what they were saying.

* * *

Neal changed the background to include a window between two bookshelves. Outside that window, he added a tree in the darkness and a figure hidden among the leaves. Cass was painted in with a smile dancing on her lips and a fluid bend to her body as she rested on the arm of the chair.

Now Neal just had to make a phone call.

* * *

"I must say, this feels rather strange," Alfred sighed as June brought him into Neal's apartment. Neal was dressed in slacks and a singlet with his paintbrush in hand.

"Nonsense," June said calmly. "Everyone deserves a little time off. I'm sure we can find something to do. How about a little game of chess while Neal works?"

"If you wish," Alfred said, taking the seat June guided him to. "I must warn you, I am skilled."

Neal learnt that Alfred was more than skilled. He reckoned he would have a tough time against the old butler. Alfred was the only one of the family which Neal had invited over for the purpose of getting to know. Dick had spoken on length about the man who held the family together and Neal wanted to meet him in person before painting him.

* * *

Alfred was added to the picture next to Dick. He was reserved and his head was tilted slightly down, but his eyes were slightly off centre. They gave the impression that he was looking away, perhaps to the person hiding in the tree outside. A figure who watched over everyone.

* * *

Bruce brought the family over to the FBI office when Neal told him the painting was ready. They met up in the meeting room with Peter and Hughes standing by. When Neal revealed the painting he grinned at the impressed curse which slipped from Dick's lips.

"I think we need to discuss payment," Bruce said after a couple of moments.

Hughes and Peter shared a look before Peter nodded. "Normally I would suggest alternative options to handing money to a felon-"

"Thanks Peter," Neal said sarcastically but teasingly.

"But, Neal has done an amazing job on this."

"Amazing hardly describes it," Tim mused, having gotten up and was tilted up close to the painting. "The detail is impressive." He grinned as he spotted Jason in the tree outside the window. Despite only meeting them a few times, Neal had somehow managed to capture their essence on canvas.

"Danny Grayson, I approve," Damian said to Neal with a nod of his head. "The previous  _artist_ ," his tone suggested he thought the person had been anything but, "failed to capture the power present in our family. I confess, I was moments away from fixing that piece as well but I have yet to develop your skill." Neal wondered if Damian had something to do with the Batarang which went through the other piece.

"As roundabout as he said it, Damian is right," Bruce said. "I paid a lot for the previous piece which is subpar when compared to this."

Dick gave Neal a hug. "I feel like you should be in it though."

"I signed it," Neal responded. "So I'm included."

He got another squeezing hug from Dick.

"I'm so glad I found you."


End file.
